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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. date — the fruit
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. present — the time now
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. snap — to click
  13. rash — a series
  14. bark — to shout
  15. firm — a company
  16. game — a match
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rash — hasty
  19. present — a gift
  20. firm — decided
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. firm — steady
  24. present — there

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com